Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-11-07
INAUGURAL SERMON.
Rev. T. w. Haskins at
Opera Hall.
THE CHRIST CHURCH PARISH.
Another Branch of the Episcopal
Church Gains a Firm Footing
in Los Angeles.
THE CHRIST CHURCH PARISH.

The following inaugural sermon
was preached yesterday morning by
the Reverend T. w. Haskins, in the
A. Q. U. w. Hall, to a large congre-
CATION;
Looking forward to this hour when we
are gathered together in the name of Christ
to eonsecrate the infancy of Christ Church
Parish, my heart demurs at anticipating
with pen and ink the hallowed emotions
which the inspiration OF your presence, my
brethren, and that of Him, who has prom
ised to be with those who are assembled in
His name, may call for it; but my head
teaches me that it is better to give sober and
careful expression to those emotions,
which we share in common, on this,
the first occasion of public worship in a
new parish in the American Church.
1t is q comparatively rare event in the his
tory of the church in this country for q con-
gregation without endowment to spring at
once into an Independent, duly corporated,
self-sus'aining existence as parish. There
is usually an intermediate existence as a
mission dependent upon another parish, or
the general Church. In this instance
doubtless, combination of circumstances
makes the complete and independent exist
ence wise and possible, but the
chief of these circumstances is un-
doubtedly the rapid and phenomenal, yet
sure and substantial growth OF an lntelli-
gent Christian community, in this favored
spot of our common country. 1t is this cir
cumstance which inspires me with conf
dence and courage to undertake with you,
the solemn and weighty responsibility of or
ganizing and guiding a new parish, without
endowment, without House of Prayer,
without gift, without any previous pledges
whatever except the common consent of
need, and the common assurance of love
nd CT n a NyisQ and understanding
pie who have called this parish into exist
ence. Beneath it all there is the .di-
vine trust which l may here give
expression to, and which is witnessed by
the memorials Of Christ's body and blood
the divine pledge of Christ's presence where
two or three are gathered together in His
name. Z" / am with you always, even unto
the contamination of the age" is sufficient
assurance that
THE LORD OF HOSTS
is with us to-day, and that SO long as we are
obedient to His word. we shall live and not
die. 1t is thrilling thought that this branch
which, by our action, has sprang out of the
to live and bear fruit until He Him
only only 'e' to seek fruit, but to dwell
in it Himself, when "the tabernacle
be saerediy careful in everything that we
do to give shape and direction to this parish
which is branch of 'the Church Of the
living God" In affairs c the world we may
do as own Judgment dictates at in the af A.
His written word. My first counsel, there
fore, is, brethren beloved of the Lord, "be
mind full of the judgment of the Lord"
Nothing can have this blessing that does not
His approval that is not according to His
word It must be displeasing to
Him to do anything that reflects
upon His presence or promise; promise Il .,a
Heavenly Father to take step, in order to
give free scope to the Gospel Of His son and
its ministratiOn among men; we need not
hesitate to take u though we I see ln the way to
see the way to take the next, when the first
is taken, We have TAKEN brethren, the first
step, taken it constitutionally and orderly
and providentially, too, and SO far as know
any pledge of me. and have asked none
from any one. There has been a common
trust to one ansther's love and honor,
and a common expectation that we all
sought first above all things the Kingdom OF
God and his righteousness, believing that all
things needed would be added; using our
com mon sense, too, in respect to the size al
ready of this metropolitan city and its giant
strides towards the position OF one of the
great cities of the continent. 1t must be
pleasing to him for us to put our net down
where the fishes are, and to spread it as
wide as
HIS MERCY EXTENDS
to all people. / need not dwell longer on
these reflections as to what we have DONE
There is nothing to be sorry for, or repent
on, that know OF; there is nothing to fear
in the future if we trust in the Lord and go
forward. l speak unto the children
of Israel that they. go forward, was the
Lords message to Moses, and in view OF the
Ford Jesiis' commission to His Church,
NAV dwell on what we have to do in going
forward. am sure the view is attractive;
Forecast the future and what do we behold?
An incoming multitnde-A great city-a
Stata heterogeneous elements from almost
every nation under Heaven; vast throng
of boys and girls born to this multitude,
playing in the streets, filling the schools
down, at religious observances, What
mean We BIZ this seryice?" We hear the din :
Of toll, and the heat Of conflict, and behold,
too, all the sins and sorrows which this
It was this sight which moved to comp s.
sion the heart Of Jesus, because He saw they
were as sheep without shepherd, and He
has sent us with the trust of the Gospel to
bear witness that He is the shepherd of the
sheep. The responsibility laid upon us is
first the realization that the Gospel Of Christ
is the divine agency for preserving the
peace and prosperity OF any community,
be as broad and deep, and as substantial,
too, as we think the probabilities of the
growth of the community warrant. The
probabilities are that this city will be the
capital Of great state, exerting its intiu-
city city OF diocese, with its Bishop,
and the center OF its working activities 1t
is in our power, brethren. peieve, now IN
acter and influence in our measure and de-
gree to the Church of Christ in the commun-
ity in which we live, not only In our own
body, but among all who name % the n name nn.s;, 81
First, then, itis because we are new par
ieh. We have cut ourselves off entirely
from the mother parish in corporate exist
ence and support @ ana 30 c1toms from an 0IgS hieS
might have weight and be deferred to,
il we were under corporate
responsibilities to any other body. We are
in no wise hampered then by parochlai IRA
ditions, with which SO many congregations
are hidebound and SO many clergy. find 1t
impossible to give full scope to their ener-
yies and powers, Besides, we shall be made
up from the start-and more coming all the
time-of persons from all sections and OF
shades of churchmanship in our own coun,
try. As well as from the same household OF
faith in
CANADA AND ENGLAND,
Each bringing some contribution in expert.
ence or gi; OF ovss ana as eaeS With the
opportunity of leaving behind MIN that
which is merely fancy or tradluon-s9me
wood, hay or stubble-which nave M no pimtc ;tS
Ihave no sympathy with what is termed
diocesan Capitalization" ! am afraid OF
1t; history plants the fear nor d0 share the the
vague term "parochialism," but do know, M ",
s oasnds to ns puffty In the
cnmmnnitv nv mere parochial traditions
from spiritual Il deadness, want of sympathy
from false methods Of ecOnGi%iy U,,niiHiyny frfm fbe
temporal to the spiritual, from more
desire to hear dearly beloved bretne
rem" repeated with tiresome iteration, OF
re Deum sung by an exquisite quartette, tne
desire to eat the passover with the sunerins
Savior, or to see calico and fustian &C covefinns .n
labor and muscle at the table OF the Loru q
Until the Lord comes to end TINS day o.
grace the faith must be held, and its purit!
maintained by partoral work, which mean'
by parishes, and all the mutual interchang'
OF duties, and courtesies, forbearances ant
forgivenesses, which business and social In
tercourse in a jostllng community, compe
tl.T Il 20 NJ prn Vyh